The Crow's Gambit

Ren is a thief and a con man. There's just one rule: He doesn't kill people. Murder is rare in the walled city of Lenmar, thanks to the magic-eating Inquisitors that can sniff out any individual by their particular knack. So, when a serial killer starts killing the nobility, leaving no trace for the Inquisitors to follow, Ren becomes the prime suspect. All Ren wants to do is stop a serial killer, clear his name, and protect the people he cares about. To do that, he’ll have to pull one more high-stakes heist—and steal the proof he needs from the very people who want to catch him.

Ren's appointment as Warden, the Queen's personal bodyguard and head of her security has created something of a stir in the walled realm of Lenmar. Opposition to his mere presence within the Crystal Palace is high, and old schemes and rivalries are kindled anew as the tension builds between the nobility and the factions pushing for change. An attack on the eve of the Moon Festival, when the Council of Nobles is set to convene, provides the spark to ignite a chain of events that threatens the very foundations that have kept the people of Lenmar safe, and puts everyone Ren cares about in danger.